12 - "Gold (Acoustic)"

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My eyes slowly opened at the sound of the door opening, and was surprised when I saw who it was. "Oh, Dr. Banner."

"Erin. Um, I'm here to tell you that you've been cleared by the medical team. You can go back to your room if you want to." He said.

"Is there another option?" I asked.

"You're more than welcome to join us for lunch if you want to. Steve made grilled cheese." He was smiling, his eyes glistening with hope.

I returned the smile. "That'd be great." I swung my legs over the side of the bed, and slowly lowered my feet into a pair of slippers someone set down. He offered his hand to help me, but I shook my head.

"You still have to be careful not to pull your stitches, you know." James said. I hadn't heard him come in, but when I looked up, I smiled at him. A genuine smile.

"I know. I've been shot before." I remarked.

 "Yeah, three times. I know." He smirked at me. I slowly walked over to him. I didn't realize how much shorter than him I was. I decided to read his mind. "Hey, I'm not puny!" I mockingly hit his arm. 

 "I beg to differ. Now come on, Steve makes the best grilled cheese ever." I let him lead me to the kitchen, where I saw everyone smiling and laughing. Until they saw me. They paused, and when I opened the door they were all silent. 

"Hi guys." I smiled, and everyone's faces, and thoughts, were flooded with relief. They started chattering excitedly, and I decided to sit in between Steve and James as Stark was squabbling about something. 

"Hey, Erin, what do you think about ACDC?" Anthony asked.

"Um, I think it's a good branch of the federal system." I didn't know what it was, so I guessed. As soon as I said that, the table erupted in laughter as Stark looked as if I'd slapped him.

"Oh, should've kept your mouth shut, Erin. I think you might've killed Tony." Natasha laughed.

"Oh, you've done it, you've done the impossible. You've rendered him speechless." Captain America joined in.

"I think I might've, Cap." I began to laugh, but the table fell silent. "What?"

"Did you just say 'Cap?'" He asked.

"And laugh?" Natasha added.

"Maybe? Why?" I was confused.

"You've only called me 'Mr. Rogers'. You've never said any of our names, not even our aliases."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, please don't-"

"Hey." A metal arm gently grabbed my shoulder, forcing me to look at James. "It's okay. It's a good thing." He offered me a reassuring smile, and I smiled back.

"Oh. Okay." I turned back to my plate and took a bite of my grilled cheese. "Oh my gosh, Cap. This is amazing." Everyone laughed, and we ate together, joking and talking as friends.

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"I'm going to kill you, Erin." Cold eyes stared into mine.

"Oh really? And why's that?" I said, my voice filled with a teasing innocence.

"For this." James turned his glinting arm to me, showing the smiley face I had drawn in permanent marker.

"Oh. That. Well, you'd have to catch me first." I took off sprinting towards the thirty-foot climbing tower behind me. I could hear him chasing me, but I had reached the rock wall. I jumped up and grabbed onto a colorful plastic blob, pulling myself higher as I climbed quickly up the wall. 

"Run, Erin! Show Buck who's boss!" I heard Natasha say, glee in her tone.

"I don't know if the old fellow can catch up!" I said, climbing higher. I looked down and saw he was nowhere in sight. Confused, I looked around until I felt a foam bullet hit the top of my head.

"Oh really?" I heard him say above me. He was holding a small Nerf pistol, a smirk on his face.

"Wha-how did you get up there?" I was astounded. No way he climbed up faster.

"That's the thing about home advantage. You, who has never been in the training room, couldn't have possibly known that on the other side of the rock wall is a staircase."

"You cheater!" I accused playfully. He laughed, then held out his hand to help me up. 

"Maybe." We both laughed as he pulled me up, until I took the Nerf gun from him and shot him right between the eyes in one swift motion.

"Got you!" I announced triumphantly. 

"Hey! Didn't the doctor say to take it easy?" Tony yelled from below. 

"Oh, it's been a few days, good enough. And you're still upset I don't know what ACDC is, Tin Man." I teased.

"How can you not know? Do you live under a rock?" He threw up his hands.

"When I was six I lived in a mountain. Does that count?" I asked, but that made him shift uncomfortably. Realizing what I said, I shut my mouth.

James cleared his throat. "Well, I do believe I was in the middle of getting revenge for your vandalism, right?"

"Like I said, Sergeant Barnes, you'll have to catch me first." One hand shot out and pushed him over the edge while the other reached up and grabbed the belay line above me, and wrapped it around his foot. His back slammed against the rough wall with a bang, and I took off running out of the room and down the hall, past the common room all the way to Anthony's lab and hid behind one of his suits.

"Where are you, Erin? I'm a trained tracker, you know!" I heard James say. I giggled quietly. Deciding he would never find me, I turned to look out the window. I saw a beautiful New York skyline, and several floors beneath me I could see tiny moving dots. I was admiring the complexity of it all when a drone appeared in front of me. I could feel myself go rigid as I recognized the code on the small banner the drone held.

 I could feel myself go rigid as I recognized the code on the small banner the drone held

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MAKE THEM KNEEL

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